


Down by the riverside

by JewelOfForest



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Asexual Jughead Jones, Biromantic jughead, Fluff, Gay sweet pea, I'll try to do slow burn, M/M, Magic, Mermaid Society, Mermaids, Protective Sweet Pea (Riverdale), Serpents is mermaid family group, Slow Burn, jughead is asexual, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-01-03 20:08:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21185276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JewelOfForest/pseuds/JewelOfForest
Summary: Jughead finds a curious creature in Sweetwater river, and just has to find out more. He wasn't quite expecting it to be something straight from a fairy tale





	1. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is really just setting the scene. I plan for this to be a long story with quite a bit of mermaid law that i came up with, with the help of MidnightBlueMoon, who was kind and awesome enough to email with me to discuss ideas about this jugpea mermaid au idea. There's going to be more relationships in this but i'll act those when they come about. I hope you enjoy

Jughead had accepted, he’d made some stupid decisions. Sometimes for stupid reasons too. However, this may take the cake. Yes, moving out from the trailer (yet again), after a(nother) fight with FP. And no, he wasn’t going to stay in the school, or with Archie, even though he knows the older boy would let him stay as long as he wanted. No. No, instead he staying in a dusty, old, and possibly on the verge on breaking down cabin. Jughead only knew it existed because he accidentally stumbled upon it. 

Well, what had happened was Jughead swore he saw something in Sweetwater River. It was a perfect ordinary day, and he was just sitting by the river, by himself. He needed to get away from everyone completely for a while, to just think. Hence, he couldn’t go to pops, and he knew Betty would come to find him there. So, he ended up at the river, just staring at it. That’s when he saw it. The flash of the sunlight, and what looked like a far too human shape under the water. Unfortunately, it was hard to see any defining details through the rivers current. But still, being the curious human Jughead was, he was quick to chase after for a better look. However, it moved far too quickly, and Jughead lost the creature. By that time, he was already far down the river, and much deeper into the woods then he ever gone before. He found the cabin the same day, and he was going to get a closer look, until he realised how late it was. So instead, he raced back to Riverdale town before his friend got too worried, and ended up forgetting about the cabin.

Until now. Indeed, he had to remember it just as he was thinking about where to go after a fight with FP. Really, it worked great. He couldn’t be a burden on Archie again, no matter how much the big guy would insist he isn’t, and he didn’t fancy risking getting expelled for breaking into the school. Plus, Archie would just look for him there, and insist he come to his. No, the cabin was perfect. No one knew about it, and it was better than some places he had stayed. And maybe, just maybe if he was lucky, he would catch sight of that strange creature again. This time actually being able to find out what it was exactly.


	2. First Week

A better look at the cabin had revealed it to be quite worn down and had many holes that would need a lot of work to patch up, but Jughead was far too stubborn to turn back now. Instead he got to work, clearing out the dust as best he could. Patched up the holes in the roof, and sides. Jughead was so busy making it liveable, he forgot about the mystery in the river. He didn’t even have time to think about the fight or his friends as he collapsed into bed, exhausted every night.

It was after a week working on fixing the wooden cabin that Jughead remembered his promise. He couldn’t just vanished and be left in peace without leaving his friends a note and promise to let them know he’s okay every so often. So that how Jughead ended up spending his Saturday in Pop’s with Betty, Archie and Veronica having milkshakes and burgers while dancing around their offers for him to stay with them. It was good to see them but Jughead was more than ready to be alone again. 

The sun was already beginning to set once Jughead started to make his way back. He had to waste some time losing Betty. She really wasn’t subtle when trying to trail him. Jughead knew her too well for it to work. He knew she only meant well, she just wanted to know where he was staying so she could help. Betty would just try to fix things but sometimes things can’t be fix and Jughead didn’t feel like trying to fix it with FP either. No use thinking on it, he sighs as he instead focused on his surrounding in the warm light of evening. 

The river really looked lovely in the evening light. It gave a slight amber glow to it. He walked along, admiring the river and all the moss covered rock along the edge. Some of the moss even sparkled. Jughead drew to a stop, brow furrowed. It shouldn’t sparkle, maybe shine a bit reflected the light, but not that much. He took a closer look at the rock a little ahead from him, despite the perfect moss green colour, Jughead realised it was scales he was seeing. It was long enough to go into the river, and that were he could see the fin. So definitely some kind of fish, but what fish would lay on a rock? Jughead pulled his eyes away from the fins, and followed the body up. Unable to see the full form with a tree blocking his view, Jughead slowly walk around eyes following as more of this creature was revealed.  
Crack! Jughead winced as a branch broke beneath his foot. The creature moved. Jughead rushed around the tree trying to catch a proper look before it was gone but he was too slow. The water rippled where the creature dived in, and like that it was gone. Cursing to the heaven, Jughead annoyed he didn’t find out what it was. He did know more now, and he could have sworn he saw a flash of skin just before it vanished beneath the water. Even more intrigued than he was before, Jughead could already see it being his next book, ‘The mystery of Sweetwater River’. Starting tomorrow, Jughead was going to find this creature and solve this mystery.


	3. The investigation begins part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead starts his hunt for the creature

The birds were chirruping in the morning light. A gentle wind blew through the trees, softly rustling their leaves. Truly a beautiful, and peaceful morning. Jughead already wishing he could go back to sleep, but if he wanted to solve the mystery of Sweetwater river, he would have to be prepared bright and early. Hence why he was up at the crack of dawn, fishing out his good old trusted cam recorder and putting on his darkest clothes that would blend into the forest. After a quick breakfast he was ready to set out. 

Jughead started out at a normal walking place, but as he got close to the river bend from yesterday, he slowed down and watched every step carefully as not to scare anything way that might be there. Unfortunately, it did not matter as there was no sign of any sort of life there yet. He let out a disappointed sigh, but he wasn’t surprised. As much as he wanted to find whatever creature was pulling itself up on rocks before diving off, he knew it high unlikely he find it straight away. If he even would find it here again at all. Looks like he playing the long waiting game. Luckily there was some tall grass and bushes near enough to the river to disguise him while giving him a full view of it and the many moss covered rocks on the other side. Jughead would get the perfect view of anything that would happen, on the downside the river bends away from him, so if he scares it away, there be nothing he can do about it. He settled down for a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry it been awhile. A lot has happened in my life and my well being hasn't been great but i'm really gonna try to write this more often as i love mermaid aus and i got so much good stuff planned for this that i want to share with yall but i have to get to that point in the story. 
> 
> This is short but the next chapter will be longer as should all the coming chapter because we are getting to the appearance of sweet pea. 
> 
> thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed :)


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